Correlates, cues, and signals: A decision flowchart for researchers and students

Discussions of animal communication and human social perception are replete with different terms referring to observable features, many of which are frequently (and incorrectly) conflated. To introduce some order, previous writers have drawn a distinction between cues and signals. Here, I introduce a further distinction—between cues and correlates—and I provide a decision flowchart to help researchers and students think clearly about correlates, cues, and signals. A more rigorous use of these terms will not only facilitate scientific communication, but also aid understanding of the underlying concepts among undergraduate and graduate students engaged in evolutionary studies.